If you’re looking for a quicker way to enjoy all the flavors of carrot cake, try this carrot cake cookies recipe. Rich cream cheese frosting is the perfect tangy topping.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat until well combined. combined. Scrape the bowl down.
With the mixer on low speed, add the dry mixture and mix until almost combined. Add the shredded carrots, oats, and pecans (if using, and mix on low until just combined.
Scoop the dough into 1½ tablespoon-sized dough balls (about 35g each), and place on the prepared cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.
Bake for about 12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. The centers will still be soft, but you can bake for 2 to 3 more minutes for a crispier cookie. Let the cookies cool on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
In a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until very smooth, about 1 minutes. With the mixer on low, gradually add the powdered sugar. Once combined, scrape down the bowl, add the vanilla, and beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 1 minutes.
Spread the cream cheese frosting on top of each cooled cookie before serving.
Notes
Use freshly grated nutmeg. Its flavor is so robust compared to the pre-ground kind! Nutmeg’s flavor comes from oils and once it's grated or ground, those oils start to lose potency fairly quickly.
Shred carrots at home. Pre-shredded carrots, while convenient, are very dry and larger than shreds from a box grater. You need the moisture from freshly grated carrots to make the best carrot cake cookies recipe super chewy and delicious. Use the large holes of a box grater or the grater attachment for a food processor or mixer.
Add mix-ins. Pecans aren’t your only option! If you like a lot of mix-ins in your cookies, add ½ cup of shredded sweetened coconut or raisins to the cookie dough when adding in the carrots. If you prefer nutty cookies but don’t enjoy pecans, you can use chopped walnuts instead.
Wait for the cookies to cool before frosting them. If the cookies are still warm, the frosting will melt. They need to be completely cool.
Different frosting options: I like the rustic look of frosting spread over the top of each cookie with a butterknife. But you can also pipe the frosting on top of each cookie in a swirl or decorative pattern if desired!